When I Was Younger
by InsertCleverNicknameHere
Summary: The Doctor, has had many companions over his long life. Every now and then, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he stops by and visits some of his old friends.


A/n: Hey, guys! This is my first shot at a fanfiction in about 3 years, so I decided to ease myself back into it by writing something really light. No universe-ending threats, no earth-conquering plots, just nice, easy, lighthearted reunion fics.

That being said I don't really have a plan for this fic as far as how many chapters. It could be one, it could be sixty (though it probably wont be sixty). Please enjoy and feel free to write a review!

P.S. This title came from the Colony House album of the same name. If you haven't heard them you should look them up.

* * *

"When I was younger everything seemed simple"

Caught Me By Surprise by Colony House

* * *

It was rainy today. She absolutely dreaded the rain, it always seemed to mess up her hair.

Victoria Waterfield waited for a car to pass then crossed the street. The year 1968 wasn't so different to her time. Not _really_ at least. There were cars buzzing around, and the people wore very different types of clothing (their dresses were ENTIRELY too short), but in reality not much had changed. People were still people, striving to find a larger purpose in life.

For Frank and Maggie it was parenthood. They had been all too happy to take Victoria into their home. Their inability to have children had left the couple pining for a family life that they could seemingly never have. Then an orphaned space-girl from Victorian London practically fell out of the sky to save the day and give their lives meaning. At least that's how they seemed to see it. How could they be so certain in their purpose? Victoria hadn't lived for long (only about sixteen years now) but their was one thing that she was absolutely sure of… and that was that she wasn't really sure of anything anymore.

With all the changes that seemed to be happening so suddenly in her life, it seemed as if stability was all but nonexistent. Even with the Harris' loving affection, she felt as if it was all going to be over soon. As if some absurd monster was going to ascend from the depths of the time-space continuum and rip everything she cared for away from her. Again.

Victoria walked past a police box and she stopped to idly stare at it. Small drops of rain fell down lightly on top of her hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail.

The Doctor.

It had been three months since she had left The Doctor and Jamie. Three months since Jamie had tried to convince her to stay with them. Three months since he had almost convinced her to change her mind and continue her travels with the alien Doctor in his magic box. It had only been two months since she had stopped crying. Not that she regrets staying, deep down she knew it was the right thing. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like crazy.

She missed them. A lot. Even more so than she missed her dad now. She stared at the blue box, tears welling in her eyes, praying that the Doctor would come stumbling out of it.

Low and behold, the door swung open wide and out of it came stumbling (tripping was probably a better word)… well… someone.

The stranger was tall, with floppy brown hair. A crooked, dark blue bow tie graced his neck and a tweed jacket rested on his shoulders.

The Stranger tripped right out of the doorway and on to the concrete sidewalk right in front of Victoria. He laid down face first for a moment and huffed, then began to pick himself up and dust himself off.

"So sorry about that," he said without looking up (he was busy straightening his bow tie.) "I'm the Doctor, and you are?"

"Doctor!" Victoria half cried as she threw her arms around him.

The tears in Victoria's eyes began to fade.

It was all okay.

Her Doctor was here to save her.

* * *

The TARDIS looked so different now. The white walls were replaced with gray metallic ones, and the white roundels were replaced with large silver discs with blue lights. It seemed gloomier, more brooding. She didn't particularly like it, although it seemed awfully impolite to say that.

"So if you don't mind me asking, Doctor" Victoria took a sip of her tea that the Doctor had made her. Once again she didn't particularly like it, but kept it to herself for the sake of being polite. "How did you get so young?"

He chuckled at the question, "well you see," he paused to drink some tea, then after tasting it decided he didn't like it and tossed the liquid out over his shoulder. "When a Time Lord is dying, we have a sort of defense mechanism. Every single cell in our body rewrites itself, but as a result we change."

"So the other version of you, the version that I knew, died and then you changed into this?" The Doctor never ceased to amaze her.

"Well technically, that version of me died and then I changed into a James Bond knockoff, then that version died and I changed into a wide eyed lunatic with too many teeth, and then…" The Doctor paused there, then smiled, "well you get the point. It's been a while."

"What about Jamie," Victoria leaned forward in her chair with anticipation and worry. "Is he still around?"

The Doctor smiled again, this time in a more bittersweet manor, "Oh don't worry, he went back to his time, to live a long life. I'm sure he's forgotten about little old me." Victoria could tell that the last sentence particularly pained him, but she decided to leave it alone. "How long has it been for you?" He paused for a moment then added "Since you've seen me last" for clarification.

"Three months." But only two months since she had stopped crying. Of course she'd never tell him that. The Doctor had always inspired her to at least try to be a brave little soldier.

"How are you getting along with the Frank and Maggie?"

"Oh rather well. They're really nice people." Victoria bit her lip and debated on continuing. After a second or two of contemplation she decided that she should. "I just… I have this terrible feeling that it is all going to go away soon. As if the Daleks or the Cybermen or the Ice Warriors are going to come back and take away my family again. And also," Tears began to well up in her eyes again. Her throat tightened and she lost her ability to breathe. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she gasped for breath and stream of warm tears began to roll down her face. "I miss you!" she sobbed.

"Victoria," he said softly as he wrapped his arm around her, "It's ok, I'm right here."

She sobbed loudly into his chest before trying to stop, failing miserably, and then continuing to cry. "I just don't want things to go back to the way the were."

The Doctor gently pulled Victoria away from him and then looked reassuringly into her bright blue eyes. "Victoria, do you remember what I told you all those years ago, on Telos? Those memories, the ones of Jamie and I, they won't always be painful memories. One day you'll be able to look back and not think of how terribly you miss it, but think about how amazing it was while it lasted."

Victoria, while still crying, let out a sly smile. "You probably wouldn't understand, with you being so ancient."

They both laughed before the Doctor brought her in for another long embrace.

"Oh, Victoria," he planted a kiss on top of Victoria's head, then rested there, holding her tight.

* * *

"Is this goodbye, then," Victoria turned back to face the Doctor. He was leaning against the doorway of the TARDIS, hands in his jacket pockets.

"Definitely not," he gave her the biggest smile he could, "You'll see me again. Though I may or may not be wearing this face."

She laughed, "What, do you plan on changing into a James Bond knockoff again?"

"Oh, I hope not, I really don't want to be old," he gave her a wink, before reaching in one of his pockets and pulling out a small piece of paper with a phone number on it. "If you ever need me, call that number, but I can't promise it'll get to me in the correct order. Time being so wibbly-wobbly and whatnot… Well, I guess this is 'see you later.'"

The Doctor started to turn around before Victoria threw her arms around him one last time. "I love you, Doctor," she said holding him tight."

"I love you too," he planted one more kiss on top of her head before the two friends separated and he retreated back into his TARDIS.

A moment later, the TARDIS' magical noise filled the air and the blue box began to fade. As Victoria watched the blue box disappear from reality, she was sure of one thing.

Her Doctor would always be there for her.


End file.
